is necessary to overlook the weakness, and bear with the vanity of others, that they, in turn, may bear with ours. Her favourite maxim, therefore, was, "Give and forgive."
From her very childhood she was of a most charitable disposition. She wished to perpetuate her benevolence through the hands of her friends.
"They will be blessed," said she, "and they in their turn will bless my memory." Thus she assigned to one of them, who was poor, an income of twelve hundred livres for his lifetime. "If you should grow richer," said she, "distribute the money out of love to me, when I can use it no longer."
In her house the best society in Paris was assembled. Cultivated minds of every description found access to her; none could therefore claim a preference: the mistress of the house herself was far from desiring any precedence; she was only amiable and animating.
The abbe de St. Pierre, when she dismissed him, after a long conversation with these words, "Vous avez été charmant anjourd'hui," addressed to her the well-known and deserved compliment, "Je ne suis qu'un instrument, Madame, dont vous avez bien joué."
Among the great number of strangers who visited her house in Paris, the most distinguished was Count Poniatowsky, afterwards King of Poland. He apprised her of his accession to the throne in these words:—"Maman votre fits est roi;" inviting her at the same time, to Warsaw. On her journey thither, (1768,) she was received at Vienna in the most flattering manner, by the emperor and empress. The latter, having met Madame Geoffrin, while taking a ride with her children, immediately stopped and presented them to her. Upon her arrival at Warsaw, she found a room there, perfectly like the one she had occupied in Paris. She returned to Paris, after having received the most flattering marks of respect, and died in 1777. Three of her friends, Thomas, Morellet, and d'Alembert, dedicated particular writings to her memory, which, with her treatise, Sur la Conversation, have been lately republished.
GERBERGE,
Wife of Louis the Fourth, of France, was the daughter of Henry, who became King of Germany in 918. She married first Gislebert, Duke of Lorraine, who was drowned in the Rhine. In 940, Gerberge married Louis the Fourth. Five years after, her husband was taken prisoner by the Normans. Hugh the Great, Duke of the Franks, wished to obtain possession of him; but the Duke of Normandy consented to give him up only on condition that Louis' two sons should become hostages for their father. Hugh sent to demand them of Gerberge, but she refused, well knowing that the race of Charlemagne would be entirely destroyed, if the father and children were all prisoners. She only sent the youngest son with a bishop; so Louis not being set free, Gerberge sent to demand aid from her brother Otho, King of Germany. Louis was at length liberated by Otho's assistance, and he confided to Gerberge the defence of the town of Rheims, in which she shut herself up with her troops. In 964, Louise died, and Gerberge exerted herself effectually to have her eldest son, Lothaire, although scarcely twelve, placed on his father's throne. She, together with her brother, Bruno, Duke of Lorraine, were appointed regents. She marched, with her young son, at the head of an army, and beseiged Poictiers;
